Castanet



(ModeL) E. A. FISHER. Gastant.

No. 237,850. Patenfed Feb. 15,1881.

WITNESSES INVER:

BY AWA- fQA ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. FISHER, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CASTAN ET.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 237,850, dated February15, 1881.

Application filed December 4, 1880. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. FISHER, of Worcester, in the county ofWorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and ImprovedGastanet, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of this invention is to provide an improvement on thewell-known bones or clappers that are made to produce musical sounds onbeing held between the fingers and SUIUClC together, by making them moremusica The invention consists of two pieces or strips of Wood, thelonger of which has an aperture made through it from side to side, nearits lower end, and an insulated plate of metal secured over said.aperture, while the shorter piece of wood has a ball, preferably ofwood, attached by a rigid shank to its lower end, the castanets beingoperated by holding them between the tingers of one hand and strikingthe ball against the metal plate.

Figure l is a perspective view, showing the castanets in position in thehand. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of that part to which the metallicplate is secured. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional side elevation of thesame on line as :r, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of that part towhich the ball is attached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents a strip of wood, designed to be aboutseven inches long, one inch wide, and one-quarter inch thick, having arectangular aperture, a, made through it from side to side, near itslower end, and having, also, two holes, I) I), made through it, abovesaid aperture a, and two holes, 0 0, made through it, below saidaperture 0, through which holes I) c is passed a strip or piece of yarn,felt, or like material, B, in such a manner as to form parallel lines oneither side of the aperture a, from the'holes b to the holes 0, for themetallic plate 0 to rest upon, said yarn. B being tied or otherwiseconveniently secured in place. The plate 0 is held in place over theaperture to by screws or pins d, that pass through said plate 0 into thewooden strip A, and said screws (1 are wrapped with yarn f, or othernon-vibrating substance, to prevent the transmission of the vibrationsof the plate 0 to the wooden strip A, or from the strip A to the plateO, the purpose of the yarns B f both being to so insulate the plate 0from the strip A that the resonant vibrations of the former shall not beinterfered with by the latter.

The other part of the castanet consists of a shorter piece of wood, D,narrowed at its lower end, and having secured thereto and in the sameplane therewith, by a screw, g, a screw-eye, E, or other rigid shank,that ex-' tends beyond the extremity of the said piece D, and hasscrewed on its end a ball, F, preferably of wood.

Then the parts A D are held between the fingers, as shown in Fig. l, andthe ball F is struck against the plate 0, a musical sound is therebyproduced, so that an expert in handling the castanets can play any tunethereon.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a castanet,constructed substantially as herein shown and described, consisting ofperforated strip A, having metallic plate 0 secured upon it, and stripD, having an attached ball, F, arranged as set forth.

2. In castanets, the combination, with the strip A, of the metallicplate 0, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby themusical qualities of the castanet-s are improved, as set forth.

3. In castanets, the combination, with the strip A, provided withaperture (0 and holes I) c, of the yarn B and plate O, arrangedsubstantially as and for the purpose described.

EDWARD A. FISHER.

Witnesses:

IRA W. TOLMAN, Mrs. SUSAN FISHER.

